1. Technical Field
The present application relates to an adjustable container handling device for handling containers, such as beverage bottles.
2. Background Information
Background information is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily admit that subsequently mentioned information and publications are prior art.
The present application relates to an adjustable container handling device for handling containers, such as beverage bottles. The container handling device comprises a transport star wheel having adjustable star wheel pockets. The star wheel has a turntable having format parts, which are disposed one above the other and have on their respective external circumference a plurality of star wheel pockets for receiving a respective container, wherein at least one of the format parts is rotatable in the circumferential direction relative to at least one other format part, such that an amount of opening of the star wheel pockets can be adjusted. In other words, the width and/or depth of the pockets can be adjusted as desired to permit handling of containers, such as bottles, of different sizes and/or dimensions.
Such devices are used, for example, in container treatment systems. Such container treatment systems are known in different configurations, such as filling machines, labeling machines, inspection machines, or rinsers. The containers are conveyed to the treatment machine standing upright on a conveyor belt, and possibly also aligned, wherein the container inlet and outlet takes place in each case by means of a star wheel. The inlet star wheel transports the containers onto the turntable. The containers are treated along the rotary transport path of the turntable, i.e. for example labeled, inspected, and/or the like, wherein the outlet star wheel received the treated containers. In this situation it is usual for each container diameter to be provided with its own set of star wheels, that is, the star wheels were customized or designed to only handle containers having one diameter.
The containers referred to herein can be used, for example, as bottles for liquids, such as beverages. Barrels or cans may also be such containers. The containers, such as bottles, can comprise a transparent or translucent material, such as, for example, glass or a translucent plastic, e.g. PET (polyethylene terephthalate). It is also conceivable, however, for the containers to comprise other materials and to be filled with other filling products. Containers in the meaning of the present application can also be preforms, i.e., objects which are still to be formed into containers, such as plastic preforms or blanks to be blow molded into plastic containers.
It can be seen that, in the event of a change of container, the appropriate adjusted star wheel set must be or should be or could be fitted, wherein the conversion procedures naturally incur substantial downtimes. Accordingly, efforts are known to provide for adjustable star wheels, wherein their format parts can be adjusted to different container dimensions, for example to different container diameters. This allows for time-consuming conversion work to be avoided and/or minimized and/or reduced. In other words, if there is a switch from handling containers of larger diameter to containers of a smaller diameter, the size of the star wheel pockets can be quickly adjusted, without having to shut the machine down and replace one set of pocket structures with another set of pocket structures.
Accordingly, some devices comprise two coaxial star wheels connected to one another, wherein a middle coaxial star wheel is arranged between the two star wheels. Means may be provided to rotate the middle star wheel in relation to the pair of star wheels by an adjustment angle in such a way that the device can be adjusted to different container diameters.
Some thrusting and/or centering flanks of the star wheel may be independently driveable and adjustable in their rotation position to the different container diameters, by rotational movement relative to the container mid-point, adjustable to the respective container jacket diameter and to the corresponding position in the machine.
A star wheel with an adjustment device is known. In this situation, the openings of the container receptacles are changed, in that toothed bars are rotated by the effect of toothed wheels, such that two star wheels arranged above one another are rotated opposite one another about their common axis of rotation.
Some devices comprise retaining devices that are arranged on the turntable, and can be moved relative to it, wherein each retaining device comprises a suction device. The suction device is carried on a slide element, which can be moved in a radial direction relative to the turntable.
Some devices comprise an inlet and outlet star wheel, which comprises adjustment devices at its carrier wheel, which comprise cut-out apertures with different radii.
Some devices comprise receiving pockets being adjusted to the largest possible container diameter, into which elastic resetting means are accommodated which can be adjusted to a smaller container diameter.
Some devices comprise an adjustable receiving opening. Some devices comprise transfer star wheels, which are provided with a plurality of rams, which adjust to different containers, and are also provided with an external regulatable guide element.
Some devices comprise adjustable star wheel pockets. For this purpose, an adjustment mechanism is provided, which comprises a first and a second adjustment element. The first adjustment element is coupled to a first transport wheel. The second adjustment element is coupled to an adjustment body. The movements of both adjustment elements are coupled to one another, wherein the first and the second adjustment elements are in each case coupled about a predetermined pivot axis.
Some devices comprise adjustment means for adjusting a middle star wheel arranged between two star wheels. The adjustment means is a threaded spindle mounted in two threaded guides.
Some devices comprise adjustable star wheel pockets.